Please help! Leaking oil filter again...

[cgos4r]

Ok, so I changed my oil and filter about 100 miles ago. Just recently I saw some oil under the bike. It was coming from the filter. I tightened it a little more by hand, still leaking. I changed filters (yes, I put old oil on the gasket) and followed the recommended torque spec of 8 ft/lbs this time. I also checked and cleaned the mating surface on the block. No cracks, no debris. I started it and No aparent leaking; however, after returning from a long ride, there is oil on the bottom of the filter again. It is seeping ever so slightly. This does not leave a warm and IZ_ feeling in my head when going into turns. WTF is going on here? I've been changing my own oil and filters for over 15 years on my street bikes. This is the first one I've had problems with.

Anyone else have this problem? I did a search and found some similar issues, but no explanation or way to solve this problem.

[DarkStaR]

Ok, so I changed my oil and filter about 100 miles ago. Just recently I saw some oil under the bike. It was coming from the filter. I tightened it a little more by hand, still leaking. I changed filters (yes, I put old oil on the gasket) and followed the recommended torque spec of 8 ft/lbs this time. I also checked and cleaned the mating surface on the block. No cracks, no debris. I started it and No aparent leaking; however, after returning from a long ride, there is oil on the bottom of the filter again. It is seeping ever so slightly. This does not leave a warm and IZ_ feeling in my head when going into turns. WTF is going on here? I've been changing my own oil and filters for over 15 years on my street bikes. This is the first one I've had problems with.

Anyone else have this problem? I did a search and found some similar issues, but no explanation or way to solve this problem.

If you're just tightening it by hand, tighten it more.  Try an oil filter wrench.  Some people have been getting leaks from just hand tightening.

Also, this topic would probable be better off in the Tech section.

[cgos4r]

If you're just tightening it by hand, tighten it more.  Try an oil filter wrench.  Some people have been getting leaks from just hand tightening.

Thanks but,cCheck my post, I tried that first, but the second filter I torqued it to 8 ft/lbs. I've heard 11.5 ft/lbs and 8 ft/lbs. Can someone confirm the correct torque spec.? Both of those sound a bit much, but this is my first Duc.

[Spidey]

So it's leaked with two different filters?  Each tightened differently?  And you've checked for debris on the mating surface, and put oil on the gasket.  Hmmm. . . . I'd just ignore the torque specs, crank it down a wee bit more and see if that works. 

P.S.  It sounds like you've confirmed the seepage is from the filter and not coming from higher up on the bike and working its way down to the filter?

[krista]

If you're just tightening it by hand, tighten it more.  Try an oil filter wrench.  Some people have been getting leaks from just hand tightening.

My ex had a 1995 900ss/cr that required maximum torque applied to it in order for it to not leak. Got me what the spec was, we did everything short of deforming the cartridge putting it on.

Trust me, it took a lot of force.

... but it worked for the 45000+ miles she had it.

Chris

[DucHead]

Make sure that an old filter gasket is not stuck to the bottom of the case.  That happened to me once on my Tacoma.

[zooom]

I don't use the 8lb torque spec and I've never had a problem...I used hand tight and then a half a turn...and usually I've never had a problem...no matter what brand of filter...

[Grampa]

Make sure that an old filter gasket is not stuck to the bottom of the case.  That happened to me once on my Tacoma.

[Schmitty]

Make sure that an old filter gasket is not stuck to the bottom of the case.  That happened to me once on my Tacoma.

x 2

This happened on my 2004 800sie.  The gasket was in the bottom of the oil pan after draining, instead of sticking to the case or the old filter.

[Spidey]

Make sure that an old filter gasket is not stuck to the bottom of the case.  That happened to me once on my Tacoma.

He checked it already.

I also checked and cleaned the mating surface on the block. No cracks, no debris.

[clubhousemotorsports]

The spec is 11nm which pretty much = 8ft/lbs
FYI I always use 11 ftlbs.

another couple of things I have found is that some times if it is just seepage it may be the old oil around the filter and not actually a leak. does the oil look old or new?

What is the range of your torque wrench? if you are using a torque wrench that is at the edge of its range it will not be very accurate anyway. for 8 ft lbs you will want an inch pound gauge that ranges somewhere from 24 to 120 inch pounds, if using a foot pound variant it will need to start at 5 ftlbs and probably will under-torque until over 10-15 ft lbs. this is why I use 11 ft lbs as my snap on starts at 5 ft lbs.

[erkishhorde]

My ex had a 1995 900ss/cr that required maximum torque applied to it in order for it to not leak. Got me what the spec was, we did everything short of deforming the cartridge putting it on.

Trust me, it took a lot of force.

... but it worked for the 45000+ miles she had it.

Chris

+1 I used to do snug when I first got my '95 m900 but still got leaks. Switched to K&N filters and put them on tight instead of snug and have no more problems w/ the filter.

[cgos4r]

The spec is 11nm which pretty much = 8ft/lbs
FYI I always use 11 ftlbs.

another couple of things I have found is that some times if it is just seepage it may be the old oil around the filter and not actually a leak. does the oil look old or new?

What is the range of your torque wrench? if you are using a torque wrench that is at the edge of its range it will not be very accurate anyway. for 8 ft lbs you will want an inch pound gauge that ranges somewhere from 24 to 120 inch pounds, if using a foot pound variant it will need to start at 5 ftlbs and probably will under-torque until over 10-15 ft lbs. this is why I use 11 ft lbs as my snap on starts at 5 ft lbs.

Thanks! Mine starts at 10 ft/lbs, so I will try 11. Man, even 8 seems a lot to me, but I've always done the hand tight method until now.

EDIT: I just checked the max recommended torque. It is listed as 12 Nm which is 8.85 ft/lbs. hmmm

[clubhousemotorsports]

The shop I worked at did not torque them for many years and I know for a fact that we were exceeding the 11 ft lbs. the only problems we had were when a customer could not get the filter off. I started torquing them to keep the customers happy. with the higher torque you should loosen them with the engine warm, when the motor is cold they will be much more difficult to remove.

[cgos4r]

Thanks!